Trump picks Augusta lawyer to be U.S. attorney

President Donald Trump on Friday nominated a Columbia County lawyer to be U.S. attorney in eastern Georgia.

The White House announced its intent to nominate Bobby Christine to lead the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Georgia’s Southern District, saying he and a slate of other nominees shared Trump's vision of "making America safe again." If confirmed, Christine would have jurisdiction from Augusta to Savannah,

A University of Georgia graduate, Christine worked for about a decade as an assistant district attorney in the Augusta area before going into private practice and serving as a part-time magistrate court judge.

Christine was appointed in 2012 to serve as State Judge Advocate for the Georgia National Guard. He joined the National Guard at age 17 and was commissioned as an officer two years later.

U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, who helped vet Georgia's judicial nominees along with his colleague David Perdue, called Christine an "outstanding choice."

Perdue called Christine an “experienced legal professional."

U.S. attorneys serve four-year terms and, like federal judges, must be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Christine is the third Georgia-based U.S. attorney to be nominated by the Trump administration. The White House also nominated former state Rep. B.J. Pak for an Atlanta-based position and Albany lawyer Charlie Peeler for the slot in Georgia’s Middle District, which spans from Albany northeast to Athens.